Can an Auto Accident Cause Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that results in widespread, chronic pain and tenderness and may also be accompanied by symptoms such as constant fatigue, mood changes, and failing memory or a lack of concentration. Although the disorder itself is not fully understood yet, medical professionals have identified several triggers in those who developed fibromyalgia. However, we are only going to focus on one possible trigger in this article.

Were you or someone close to you recently involved in a minor or major automobile accident? Can you or someone else relate to the description of fibromyalgia stated above? If so, continue reading the article below to learn more about the disorder and to see whether or not a car accident could trigger fibromyalgia in an injured individual.

What Is fibromyalgia and what are the major symptoms?

As was briefly stated above, fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that results in widespread pain throughout the body, especially throughout the soft tissue of the person with the disorder. Besides the widespread and tenderness that one experiences with fibromyalgia, several other major symptoms can help you to identify the disorder. These symptoms include:

Muscle spasms or the feeling of tingling in the extremities

The inability to sleep properly as a result of the pain

Mood disorders such as depression or anxiety

Sensitivity to the heat and the cold or to other external stimuli such as lights and sounds

Overlapping conditions and pain such as headaches, irritable bowel syndrome (look up facts about colon cancer to learn more about how fibromyalgia may affect the colon), or restless leg syndrome

Chronic fatigue that doesn’t go away, even with rest

Since fibromyalgia mimics some symptoms of other pain-related disorders and diseases, those who are dealing with fibromyalgia must be experiencing these symptoms for a period of three months or more.

What are some common triggers of fibromyalgia?

For those who develop fibromyalgia suddenly, there are quite a few causes that may have contributed to the development of the disorder. Some of the most common triggers of fibromyalgia include abnormalities in the structures or chemicals of the nervous symptoms, hormone imbalances involving chemicals such as dopamine or serotonin, genetics, sleep disturbances, infections, mental trauma, surgery, and intense or repetitive injuries. The two triggers that we need to focus on include mental trauma and injury because these will be the two triggers that most likely caused your fibromyalgia. This brings us to our main question.

Can an auto accident cause fibromyalgia?

A car accident can, in fact, cause fibromyalgia in multiple ways. The first reason an auto accident may lead to fibromyalgia is because these accidents often cause head and neck injuries, which can then trigger the disorder in those who were involved in an auto accident and sustained injuries. Looking past the physical causes, however, fibromyalgia can also be triggered by psychological trauma. If a car accident was bad enough and it traumatized the victim of the incident, they might develop fibromyalgia as a result. Simply put, car accidents might be the cause of someone’s chronic, widespread pain.

What you can do

If you were involved in an automobile accident that triggered fibromyalgia and are having trouble living your life as a result of the disorder, reach out to a professional and find an auto accident lawyer in Mobile, AL, or in whatever state the accident occurs. A lawyer will be able to represent you and get the compensation that you need to deal with life after the accident.